Oligonucleotide IMT504 reduces neuropathic pain after peripheral nerve injury

MARIA FLORENCIA CORONEL; ANDRES HERNANDO-INSUA; JUAN MANUEL RODRIGUEZ; FERNANDA ELIAS; NORMA ALEJANDRA CHASSEING; ALEJANDRO DANIEL MONTANER; MARCELO JOSE VILLAR

NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS

Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Lugar: Ireland; Año: 2008 vol. 444 p. 69 - 73

0304-3940

We have recently shown that the administration of bone marrowstromal cells (MSCs) prevents the development of mechanical and thermal allodynia in animals subjected to a sciatic nerve injury. Furthermore, exogenously administeredMSCshave been shownto participate in the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues in a variety of animal models. However, some limitations of this therapeutic approach, basically related to the ex vivo cell manipulation procedure, have arisen. IMT504, the prototype of the PyNTTTTGT class of immunostimulatory oligonucleotides, stimulates MSC expansion both in vitro . In this study, we evaluated the effect of IMT504 systemic administration on the development of mechanical and thermal allodynia in rats subjected to a sciatic nerve crush. Animals were treated with IMT504, MSCs or saline either immediately after performing the lesion or 4 days after it, and were evaluated using the von Frey and Choi tests at different times after injury. Control animals developed both mechanical and thermal allodynia. Animals receiving either IMT504 or MSCs immediately after injury did not develop mechanical allodynia and presented a significantly lower number of nociceptive responses to cold stimulation as compared to controls. Moreover, injury-induced allodynia was significantly reduced after IMT504 delayed treatment. Our results showthat the administration of IMT504 reduces neuropathic pain-associated behaviors, suggesting that IMT504 could represent a possible therapeutic approach for the treatment of neuropathic pain.